Many conventional vehicles include rear defroster assemblies that are used to clear (e.g., defog and/or de-ice) the rear window of the vehicle. Many such defroster assemblies are electrically operated and utilize heating elements that extend across the rear window. For various reasons, the heating elements may become damaged and inoperable such that they are no longer effective in clearing the rear window. Accordingly, rear defroster assemblies are desired having improved resistance to damage.